August 2016 - vcf-midatlantic

Workshop
by Evan Koblentz 22 Aug '16

22 Aug '16

Thanks everyone for another great workshop + Jeff B. for organizing it. I missed the last one so it was good to get back there. Special thanks to all who helped with museum projects (actually I think * everyone * did) and who bought leftover VCF East/West shirts... we'll keep hawking those until they are gone. :) Pleasant surprise -- the unanticipated appearances of Connor and Herb.

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Diner - 9am tomorrow
by Evan Koblentz 22 Aug '16

22 Aug '16

For anyone attending the workshop tomorrow, we'll be at the Princess Maria diner at 9am and probably back at the museum around 10:30ish.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Wall exhibit for our hallway
by Brian L. Stuart 21 Aug '16

21 Aug '16

On Thu, 8/18/16, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: > I'd like to put some kind of large, nice-looking, interactive exhibit on > the wall in the hallway by our museum. Perhaps something that shows how > data is created, processed, and outputted in an electronic digital > computer, regardless of whether it's a modern system or an old one. > Something where kids can press a button, watch the circuit make a > decision, and follow along as the lights change leading to some result. > > Looking for serious/constructive feedback from people who are willing to > actually do work. That should narrow the replies. :) Looks like you narrowed the replies beyond your wildest expectations, Evan. :) Although it's a little different than what you described, I've been thinking about something along these lines for the hallway at the university based on the ENIAC simulator. I'm still contemplating the details, but the hardware would amount to a big screen TV, a Raspberry Pi, and some buttons. It may not be visually stimulating enough, but maybe it'll solicit some other ideas. BLS

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Conductive Liquid Silver for workshop tomorrow
by Jeffrey Brace 20 Aug '16

20 Aug '16

Does anyone have any conductive liquid silver that they can bring to the workshop? Evan wants to repair the Commodore PET Chiclet keyboard and the aluminum on contacts that I put there stopped working. -- Jeff Brace - ark72axow(a)gmail.com

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Workshop tomorrow
by Jeffrey Brace 20 Aug '16

20 Aug '16

I bought soap dispensers for the bathroom in 9010. There are paper towels in the bathroom. I also bought some plates and cups. We should have paper towels in the warehouse. I will clean the bathroom Wednesday. I will be there at 10 AM and start setting up tables. What is everyone's E.T.A.? -- Jeff Brace - ark72axow(a)gmail.com

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Calcomp 565 plotter - works, but looking for pen mechanism (or any parts)
by Jack Rubin 19 Aug '16

19 Aug '16

I returned from the recent (fantastic - thank you Erik, Evan and team!) VCF-West with one more item off my ever-shorter "must have" list - I am the new owner of a very nice Calcomp 565 drum plotter. Photos are here: http://tinyurl.com/calcomp565 The only problem, unfortunately a major one, is that it is completely lacking the pen mechanism. This is actually a multi-part assembly that threads into the carriage on the front rails of the plotter and lifts the pen up and down in response to z-axis commands from the controller. It is a solenoid that uses the pen as the core and was thus supplied in many configurations depending on the kind of pen used. The first couple photos show what I'm looking for but I'd be happy with any bits of any configuration if you might have an idea where to find such items. Any help will be greatly appreciated! BTW, I'm well aware of the work that David Gesswein, Herb Johnson, Jeff Jonas and Tom Mikulic have done. I'm just hoping that there are some bits and pieces still out in the wild. Jeff, if you have any rolls of chart paper, I'm interested. Thanks, Jack

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Wall exhibit for our hallway
by Evan Koblentz 19 Aug '16

19 Aug '16

I'd like to put some kind of large, nice-looking, interactive exhibit on the wall in the hallway by our museum. Perhaps something that shows how data is created, processed, and outputted in an electronic digital computer, regardless of whether it's a modern system or an old one. Something where kids can press a button, watch the circuit make a decision, and follow along as the lights change leading to some result. Looking for serious/constructive feedback from people who are willing to actually do work. That should narrow the replies. :)

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New Kildall memoirs released
by Douglas Crawford 18 Aug '16

18 Aug '16

http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/in-his-own-words-gary-kildall/

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Rare, one of a kind Apple history up for auction!
by Ian Primus 18 Aug '16

18 Aug '16

OK guys - better hurry for this one. Only five days left to bid on a completely unique Apple computer. We should see if we can raise the money - this is something that the museum really ought to have. Someone in NYC could pick it up so it wouldn't be damaged in shipping. https://new.liveauctioneers.com/item/47131179 -Ian

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OT: Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard .iso needed
by Evan Koblentz 17 Aug '16

17 Aug '16

Off-topic -- I acquired an iMac G5 (PowerPC) today. The previous owner put Linux on it. I want to go back to OS X 10.5 Leopard (it won't run anything newer). Unable to find any working online links to download the .iso file. Can anyone help?

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